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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 12,664
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 12,664 |
I bought a new extractor for my M1 carbine and it was packed in cosmoline. I sprayed brake cleaner on it and while it did remove some of it there was plenty left. So I used an old GI trick and boiled some water and set the part in an old metal loaf pan and poured the water in. It came out clean.
The Karma bus always has an empty seat when it comes around.- High Brass
There's battle lines being drawn Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 69
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 69 |
I've used gasoline. dangerous, but effective.
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 14,027
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 14,027 |
In the 80's i bought cases of sks's. Shipped in what seemed like a solid blob of cosmoline. cut the top out of a barrel , dumped the whole mess in and filled with gasoline. after the 12 rifles came apart l jiggled them up and down till they were clean . Wife made me sleep in the shop for a week. I probably hate cosmoline as much as anything hateable
the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded. Robert E Lee ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,675
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 17,675 |
Years ago I bought a Springfield 03-A3 that had been packed in cosmoline, I used denatured alcohol to clean the stuff off.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 948
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 948 |
When i was in the national guard, a long time ago, we used a mix of gasoline n oil to clean our m1 garands after firing blanks. A few guys were smoking too at the time. As a gunsmith. I removed as much cosmoline as possible and then used brakleen. A pre parkerizing cleaning bath of tide detergent or liquid detergent works too. Have fun, Mel
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Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 85
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 85 |
a very hot water and soapy bath works
Retarded,Rich,Famous Hunting,Target Shooting,Women
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 500 |
Boiling water is probably the best and safest way to remove real cosmoline from parts.
Cosmoline seems to have become a generic term for whatever grease a rifle comes packed in. The Springfields the CMP sold years ago (at least the ones I saw) were packed in nothing but good old automotive grease; I believe the CMP indicated it was automotive grease on their website at the time because so many questions were being asked about how to best clean them. I cleaned up a few of them by soaking the small parts in a bread pan in kerosene and wiping the stock with mineral spirits, which does no harm to the wood while removing the grease. I saw some Yugoslavian rebuilt 98ks that were also stored in automotive-type grease. Rifles so stored will sweat grease from the wood on a hot day for a long time after it's cleaned up.
Increasing my post count so people will buy stuff from me
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 15,706
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 15,706 |
Some of the mausers I have bought...looks like earwax lol
Just a ton of paper towels and time.
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,843
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,843 |
The easy way to remove cosmoline, Strip rifle as much as possible then turn you shower on as hot as you can stand it and wash the rifle and all the parts, a light brush helps, I have cleaned many 1903's and M1s that were wrapped and coated with cosmoline. Don't let you wife catch you till you have cleaned every thing up. Rio7
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 8,779
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 8,779 |
I bought a new sks once still wrapped in cosmoline in a plastic bag. Took the long view took it to the car wash hung it by the floor mat rack selected hot with soap and dropped in $5. Worked well. MB
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,317
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,317 |
This is a good time of year for such. Wrap it in cloth, in a plastic bag and lay it on the desk of the car in the sun. It heats it up and is absorbed by the rag. The bag kerps it off of the dash.
Works well for old stocks as well
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,324
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,324 |
I have taken a shower with rifles covered in cosmoline. Hot water and a toothbrush hellps.
Bathing with your baby is the first step in bonding.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. -Ernest Hemingway The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.-- Edward John Phelps
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,237
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,237 |
I bought some Greek return Garands and 1903s from the CMP a number of years back. Seems the Greeks didn't care for cosmoline. The rifles were coated with what appeared to be a mixture of bee's wax and axle grease.
I did the black plastic bag and paper towel thing for two summers. The stock's only ooze a little bit of grease now when shot.
molɔ̀ːn labé skýla
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,117
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,117 |
In the early 90s were received our new issue M16's. We were tasked with removing the cosmoline. I believe all we used was Break Free and elbow grease. If there was something better than the AF wouldn't let us use it.
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,500
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,500 |
You can also use a heat gun on the stock's to remove embedded grease. Heat and wipe with paper towels, then something chemical to remove to remaining surface grease.
Old guy, old guns.
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5,516
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 5,516 |
Coleman fuel is what we used in the 60's. Then soap and water(hot). Not sure the best thing to use, but coleman fuel works!
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 47,727
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 47,727 |
Mineral spirits and a stiff bristle brush works great.
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,073
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,073 |
In the early 90s were received our new issue M16's. We were tasked with removing the cosmoline. I believe all we used was Break Free and elbow grease. If there was something better than the AF wouldn't let us use it. Buddy of mine was in the army about the same time. They had the Silkwood grade showers on base apparently. He told me that worked pretty well.
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,073
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,073 |
The method I use is more of an easy bake oven setup. I went to Fleet/Farm, bought a large metal garbage can, three bare bulb light sockets, and an extension cord. The can was drilled for the fixtures, the lid was drilled for a metal eyelet, everything got wired up,and some 100 watt bulbs were installed. In use the part being stripped of cosmo is hung from the eyelet with whatever metal wire is handy. This method's worked pretty well for me since I found the design on a long since forgotten website at least 20 years ago.
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